Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my Internship at Heathrow Airport. It was exciting, intriguing and very well-organised. I was given responsibility within my team from the beginning of the Internship, and given plenty of time outside of my role for my own personal development. It really made my placement year worthwhile, and has provided me with a whole new skillset to take forward into my career.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues. Heathrow is an extremely inclusive employer, and my team made me feel welcome as soon as I joined. I was treated like one of the team as soon as I arrived at my desk. Everyone that I met in the business was very welcoming and friendly, and always on hand to help with any queries and questions,

I was given large amounts of support and guidance by my manager. Firstly, with regards to personal development, I created a performance card with his support which helped to set realistic goals to work to throughout the year, and this helped to identify where I needed to develop. He was always on hand to offer support and guidance, whether that be face-to-face, over email, or over the phone. Also, he was mostly always present within the office and around the business, and very approachable. The team who deal with the Internship scheme itself were also extremely helpful and supportive, with a 'open door' policy so I could visit them to chat whenever I felt necessary.

How busy I was, varied. When I first joined my team, I was given time to complete a few tasks but also study a lot to learn about the team and what they did. This was really helpful, and also helped my manager and team to get a feel for who I am and what I'm about. After a month, my responsibilities heightened and I was given more tasks, which were also long-term responsibilities. After two months, I felt fully integrated into my team and I was busy enough to be constantly working during my work hours; I was never bored and always had something to do.

I was given a large amount of responsibility during my placement, right from the start. This helped me to establish who I was in the team, and showcase my skills. I felt very trusted and this helped me to develop; I was able to grow my network connections whilst feeling very valued within the business.

I have not yet returned to University, but I already feel confident to return and begin my studies again with the new skillset I have. My Internship helped me to realise my potential, and taught me to always work to the best of my ability. The various training courses I attended helped me to grow my industry knowledge, which relates back to my degree and therefore I feel prepared for my final year and dissertation.

The atmosphere in my office was welcoming, friendly and fun. I really enjoyed my time there as everyone was professional, which helped to develop my skills within a corporate environment, but also everyone was approachable and I felt comfortable to speak to different people, even if I had not yet spoken with them. This made settling in much easier.

The Internship was very well-organised, and I feel extremely grateful to the team who helped work to organise it. We had lots of different things to do, whether that be in our own role or as an internship cohort. The learning and training never stopped, and we regularly met together as a cohort which helped us to develop connections and stay in contact. As we were all spread out around the business, we all enjoyed getting together to meet.

The company are extremely invested in your personal development. There are so many online training courses which you can sign up for, as well as classroom training courses to attend; both can really help to boost your industry knowledge and your skillset. I would certainly recommend the business in this area, as they take an active part in developing you and ensuring you are performing to the best of your ability.

Very appealing! The team who organise the Internship have been very proactive with talking about the future, which is really helpful when considering my journey post-graduation. Shadowing is regularly encouraged and this helps to get out and about in the business, and see what is available. I feel very supported about future employment prospects and I will be looking to return to Heathrow.

Yes! The graduates and interns regularly get together, including graduates from past years. There are always opportunities to get together and go places together, and everyone is very enthusiastic about this. Also, my team and wider team regularly get together to have away days or going out for food, which has been really nice to develop connections and get to know others when you may not have had the chance before.

It is London, so the cost of living is expensive but manageable. Socialising is as cheap or as expensive as you make it - Central London is expensive but West London is definitely cheaper! As students, the Interns rarely went to expensive destinations within London to socialise. I would recommend speaking to students you may know who already live in London, to find boroughs which may be cheaper.

I haven't experienced the nightlife in the Heathrow vicinity, but the nightlife in West London e.g Ealing is OK - lots of pubs but not so many clubs. I would recommend if you want to go clubbing, to head to Central London where there is a much wider choice. If you're fine with pubs, stay in West London! The HEX goes straight to Paddington which is ideal for going into Central.

Yes - there are plenty of sporting activities to get involved with, for example weekly football, and also the gym which is based at work. The business also offer lots of discounts on different places within the terminals and outside of the airport, which means you can get involved in different activities with friends and colleagues at your own leisure.